Outside of ebay what is a good place to buy used digital SLR cameras?Since I use manual focus film equipment, buying used is a fact of life and not just a way to save money.
I've tried all of the big used dealers(B&H, Adorama), but the one I keep coming back to is KEH.
They have the most reasonable prices of all of the used dealers, plus their items really are better than described.
I've bought 4 camera bodies and 8 lenses from KEH. All of them have been advertised as "bargain" condition. Upon receiving them, they've all been at least what I would call excellent, and one lens even looked to have hardly been used. Every lens has had perfect glass, while the camera bodies I've bought have only had tiny touches of brassing around the strap lugs.
I did have a problem with one camera I bought, a Canon T90 with a shutter that wouldn't fire. They sent me another one that worked perfectly very promptly, and refunded my shipping costs both ways. craigslist craigslist craigslist in the city nearest you. www.shopgoodwill.com Well...I can't so much as to help you with used SLR's, but...
HSN.com has brand new SLR's and you can pay them im payments if you want. If this didn't help, I am sorry. i dont know.. but id check Amazon? Adorama and B&H both have huge used departments where you can find just about anything. I don't really recommend buying dSLRs used. You can get some good deals but 1/2 the time, you're just getting a camera with problems. I had a friend buy a used D80 only to find out that the sensor had over a hundred hot pixels. If you can't afford the one you want, try an entry level or a refurbished. Sometimes the refurbished ones are better than the new because they are tested more so than the new. The best place I have found is http://www.keh.com which has an excellent and conservative grading system for their used gear.
In addition to eBay, check your local camera store which may have used gear on consignment. Others have suggested Craigslist, which works too. You can also check local pawn shops and the newspaper.
B&H has a used shop which is okay. I don't recommend Adorama's used shop; I know people who have been ripped off by the used department there on lens trades. New, Adorama is fine, but used, forget it.
So, to recap: keh.com, local camera shop, pawn shop, craigslist, you local paper, and big camera stores online. |